1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a container for use in dialysis containing a certain amount of a salt concentrate in the form of powder, granules or tablets or mixtures thereof, having an inlet for water and an outlet that is connectable to a dialysis machine.
2. Description of the Related Art
In dialysis systems, it has previously been customary to prepare the dialysate needed for the dialysis process just before the dialysis session. To do so, the dialysate concentrate in solid form is placed in a container; the dialysate solids are usually in the form of powders, granules or tablets, i.e., pressed tablets of powder. To form the dialysate, the solid dialysate concentrate must be dissolved in water. To do so, the container with the solid dialysate concentrate is secured in the dialysis machine and the water in which the dialysate concentrate is to be dissolved is usually introduced into the container on one side and removed again on the opposite side. This results in the problem that the solution discharged is not saturated, so the composition of the dialysate varies.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,385,564 describes a solution which starts with the granular form of the dialysate concentrate in a container, with the water being introduced into the container through a connection. However, the water must first be introduced completely into the container and the finished dialysate is discharged again through the same opening in the container after appropriate dissolving of the concentrate in the water. Continuous operation is impossible with this solution.